Bangladesh has announced to support Estonia for its bid to become non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali made the announcement during a meeting with his Estonian counterpart Sven Mikser at the State guesthouse Padma in Dhaka on Sunday.
In reply, Mikser expressed gratitude for Bangladesh's support towards Estonia's maiden bid for the non-permanent seat in the UNSC.
Estonian Foreign Minister Mikser, accompanied by the senior officials of his Ministry, is now in Bangladesh on a three-day visit, reports UNB.
Sources said, the visit of the Estonian foreign minister is the first high-level visit taking place between the two countries.
Both the Foreign Ministers held cordial discussions on various aspects of bilateral ties as well as important regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest.
Minister Mikser expressed happiness for visiting Bangladesh and hoped that this will consolidate the bilateral relations between the two countries.
He informed Foreign Minister Ali of the capacity and expertise Estonia has achieved and can offer, particularly in the IT and ICT sector.
Mikser said Estonia is the most digitally connected country in the world and their government has implemented e-government system in every sector, including education, banking, security, land management, taxation and healthcare.
He offered sharing of Estonian expertise in e-governance and digitalisation both with the government and private sectors, and expressed interest in market development in the digital sector of Bangladesh.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali welcomed the Estonian offer to share their expertise in e-governance and digital market place and welcomed the Estonian entrepreneurs and investors for digitalisation process and digital market development in Bangladesh.
Ali said Bangladesh is currently hosting about 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims, who have been subject to violence and severe atrocity in the Rakhaine State of Myanmar.
"Rohingyas are a composite group of Myanmar people, and Bangladesh wants to send these forcibly displaced people to their homeland in safe and secure manner," Mahmood Ali added.
Minister Ali informed Mikser of his recent visit to Rakhaine to see the essential conditions for safe and secure repatriation of these persecuted people.
Estonian Foreign Minister Mikser highly appreciated the great hospitality extended by the government of Bangladesh to give shelter to these Rohingyas and expressed solidarity with Bangladesh on their safe and secure repatriation.
Earlier, the Foreign Minister of Estonia met Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and he met Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury at her high office in the afternoon.
